Maternal Regulation of Mucosal Immunity in Offspring

Bottled milk in the foreground with a parent and infant in the background.

Human milk contains multiple proteins that are beneficial to infants.

Several components in breast milk, such as epidermal growth factor and immunoglobulins, are present exclusively or at substantial levels in the first days following birth. These breast milk components may promote mucosal immunity in the offspring by strengthening the epithelial barrier and preventing bacterial translocation.

We are investigating the components in breast milk preventing luminal translocation of antigens in neonates and the consequences of antigen translocation in neonates.